Man Needs an Emergency Liver Transplant After Taking Protein Supplements
Man Needs an Emergency Liver Transplant After Taking Protein Supplements
Matthew Whitby, a young father only 27 years old went online and ordered protein supplements. He desperately did not want to lag behind and was eager to participate in the latest fitness fad.
Whitby had no idea using protein supplements could have adverse and life-threatening effects on his body. And this was especially true seeing as most people believe in the protein supplements with natural ingredients such as green tea extract and tropical fruits.
However, the young man’s liver failed sometime after he took the supplements. He was informed he only had about two weeks to live. In desperation, he had no choice but to accept a liver infected with Hepatitis B. The desperation was due to the fact that at that time, his life depended on that emergency liver transplant.
You might be wondering exactly what led to the failure of Matthew Whitby’s liver. According to MSN, the most likely culprit is green tea extract, a common ingredient in protein supplements and weight-loss pills. The American College of Gastroenterology also released new recommendations concerning green tea extract. The report states green tea extract can be toxic, leading to liver failure in some cases.
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Dr. Herbert Bonkovsky, M.D., a contributing author of the study and gastroenterologist based at the Carolinas HealthCare System provides clarifying details. Apparently, the culprit is a polyphenol known as catechins and found in green tea extract. While catechins are antioxidants, too much of this particular polyphenol is deadly.
Too many catechins might work against the body by targeting your cells’ powerhouses known as mitochondria. Catechins can prevent mitochondria from having the ability to assist in food metabolism and its conversion into energy. The effect is usually hepatitis, jaundice, or liver failure.
Whitby had no idea about the deadly effects possible due to the ingestion of green tea extract. He also had no forewarning and laments about the absence of a warning on the supplement’s label.
NIH states that green tea extract is a component of more than a hundred herbal supplements accessible over-the-counter. Despite its potentially deadly effects, this ingredient is steadily gaining popularity as a weight-loss tool. Although it might come as a big surprise, the FDA does not strictly regulate the application of green tea extract. It is also surprising that many green tea supplement labels do not entail warnings about the potential risks.
This lack of warning is in the United States the same as it is in Australia, which is where Whitby resides.
Although doctors have managed to resolve most of the other cases spontaneously, they also note that Whitby’s case is arguably the most extreme they have encountered.
The other ingredients that are potentially dangerous include but are not limited to:
Comfrey: Contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which are toxic substances capable of causing liver failure and at times death. Although it is no longer for sale in the United States except in ointments and creams, alkaloids can always build up in your body even with such usage.
Kava: Extracted from the Piper Methysticin roots, kava is used to treat insomnia and anxiety. It is, however, documented as having caused liver failure in more than 100 individuals. It has consequently been banned or restricted in several countries including Germany, France, Switzerland, Britain, and Canada.
Skullcap: Traditionally used as a remedy for stress, anxiety, and insomnia. Because it is often a component of products containing multiple herbs, it is not entirely clear whether or not skullcap is entirely to blame for liver failure. Regardless, you should keep an eye on this herb.
Chaparral: An extract of the creosote bush shrub believed to be beneficial for conditions such as skin rashes and cancer. The suspected liver-damaging compound in chaparral is NDGA. In some cases, the effects can be severe enough to force an emergency liver transplant.
Conclusion
Experts state that it is still safe to ingest green tea in moderation, particularly through drinking green tea. However, for the rest of his life, the 27-year-old Whitby has to take expensive medications. He consequently wants to warn every other potential user about the dangers weight-loss supplements pose even though they may seem harmless.